It began exactly how millions of other homeless pet stories do. A sweet cat enters foster care with the hope of someday finding the perfect adopter. One can only guess what befalls these felines before finding shelter. The goal now is to ensure they never go un-cared for again. And we can only hope that when an adoption application is received, it’s someone who will see that special heart hiding in a needy cat. But in the case of the cat named Dennis Quaid, NO one could have guessed that the adopter that came forward would be of celebrity status! Even more so, no one could have predicted that what inspired them to do so was as simple as their own name.
But yes, actor Dennis Quaid was powerless to say no to the special black cat named after himself.
Yes, you read that right. The two dapper gentlemen share the same name. And it was his name gifted to the sleek black house panther, that caught the 66-year old stars attention. 
It began in the foster home of Megan Guzik, who had taken in a 6-year old black cat from the Lynchburg Humane Society (LHS) in Virginia. He had joined her foster family in early January 2020. It was just a few weeks later, when his true personality began to show. But she knew that there was something special about him.
Get to know the foster cat, Dennis Quaid!
“I know what you’re thinking: What came first? The cat or the pillow?It’s been almost 3 weeks since Dennis Quaid came home with me and let me tell you, this cat is the bomb-diggity and he is looking for a family or couple to adopt him.Dennis is such a social cat, [he] loves everyone and everything! He definitely misses you while you’re away and will greet you like a dog when you return home. He’s not a very verbal cat (only when he REALLY needs something) but rather displays his affection to you physically.He loves to play, but you cannot give him strings because he will try to eat them like spaghetti. He will chill out with you when you watch Netflix at home and once he learns your sleep schedule he adapts to that too. When I brought him home initially if I wasn’t up by 7am he wasn’t having it. But now he knows to wait and come get me when my alarm goes off in the morning! And if I don’t get up fast enough, he will push his head under my neck to try to get me up! Literally the cutest thing in the world, makes my morning way better!Whoever adopts this cat is getting a rare gem! Definitely be thinking about Dennis Quaid!”
Even “cat-Quaid’s” adoption profile capitalized on the celebrity moniker.
I may not live up to my dramatic and artistic actor namesake, I’d rather watch his movies with you curled up on the couch! Would you like to movie marathon with me? Come meet me!”
But how does one single black cat, out of MILLIONS of them in shelters around the world, garner the attention of the famous human Dennis Quaid?
It began when the local WLSL news station did a report for their Clear The Shelters event for the month of August. the Humane Society listed a number of their cats and dogs within the broadcast. That happened to include cat-Quaid right at the top of the list.
“A lot of these pets have been fostered during the pandemic. So they’ve been raised in a loving family. They have manners already,” Julie Barger, director of development said. “So, if you have been thinking that now is a time to get a pet? I would absolutely agree. We’ll try to reduce some of their costs where we can.”
Dennis Quaid: He is one of our longest residents and has been with us for 416 days now. This 6-year-old feline was originally brought in by a concerned community member who noticed Dennis did not look well. After he was all healed up he made his way into one of our foster homes to be loved on and cared for by an amazing human until his new family comes along. If you are looking for a cat with a big ol’ body and and even bigger heart, he’s your man.
But just how and WHY did they decide to name him after the beloved actor? WSLS.com checked with LHS on their very well thought out naming strategies. HAHA (P.S. all of us in rescue do this!)
“We take in about 4,000 animals a year, so we really just try to come up with creative names and just not have the same name twice,” said Danielle Ulmer, Adoption Center Manager with the Lynchburg Humane Society. “A lot of times if we watch a good movie or are super obsessed with this book or this actor or something like that, we’ll just throw the names out there just to try to get more creative.
“It’s unclear if there’s a super fan on staff or if maybe someone watched a good Dennis Quaid movie right before the cat showed up at the shelter.”
Video Screenshot: WLSL; Dennis enjoying a bit of playtime between takes
Perhaps someone IS a super fan and knew that not only is celebrity human Mr. Quaid a staple of the entertainment industry, he is a huge animal lover!
Quaid and his business partner, writer Jimmy Jellinek, launched a pet podcast on July 14, 2020 called The Pet Show! A life long lover of dogs, when Quaid heard of the longtime foster resident, he knew they were meant to be together.
“It was really off the wall, but I just couldn’t resist. I had to,” the actor said. He stated with a smile, “I’m out to save all the Dennis Quaids of the world.”
“I’ve done a bunch of movies with animals, and since I was a kid I always loved animal shows, period. And Jimmy [Jellinek], he does a really good job with it [the podcast]. We just wanted to offer a place to go for pets, from advice to stories to veterinary things. It’s just a place for people to go, and it’s entertainment at the same time,” he told ew.com.
His excitement was in the air and they even shared an animal loving tribute post on his band’s Facebook page.
But it wasn’t as simple as that for the star.
Jellinek reached out to the shelter, but they thought they were being pranked! That is until the online Zoom meet and greet happened and low and behold, the famous face graced the screen. He even joked that the shelter, “start naming animals in shelters after different celebrities and see who bites.”
Arrangements were made for Jellinek to travel from Los Angeles this past weekend to pick up the lucky black cat. True to his new celebrity lifestyle, cat Dennis was introduced to the flash of the camera that illuminates stardom. And true to nature, he took it all in stride with grace. 
After that, the organization has decided to continue on the celebrity naming bandwagon.
They just introduced their newest group of famous furbabies waiting for their own spotlights today. Cats have been dubbed Drake, Nicole Kidman and Christina Applegate.
https://www.facebook.com/lynchburghumane/posts/10151319073014946
Don’t forget about the pups sporting some sporty and silly names like Derek Carr, Seth Rogan and Tim McGraw!
https://www.facebook.com/lynchburghumane/posts/10151319065899946
REGARDLESS of what your new family member is named, saving a life is what matters most! Please visit your local no kill shelter and rescue group to find your own purrsonal celebrity!
Curious Quaid discovered under the couch =)
REMEMBER: SPAY/NEUTER, FOSTER, VOLUNTEER, TNR & AS ALWAYS, ADOPT, DON’T SHOP!
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